What is freelance copywriting?
If you're in business, you'll use written words every day to explain to clients what you do.
You can either write these words yourself or get a professional to do it for you.
One option is to go with an agency – such as a copywriting agency or a marketing agency offering a copywriting service.
Or you could reach out to a freelance copywriter who understands the needs of different clients and can quickly offer solutions.
What services does a freelance copywriter offer?
Some freelance copywriters have a specific niche – especially in the world of advertising.
Ad copywriters are a breed apart and tend to work on few (if any) other types of copywriting.
And they're not what most business owners are looking for when it comes to the words they need for their business.
What most business owners need is an experienced all-rounder; a freelance copywriter who understands and can take care of a variety of different writing projects.
SERVICES OFFERED BY A FREELANCE COPYWRITING ALL-ROUNDER
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Website content (for launch or relaunch)
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Homepage 'doctor' services (suggesting important changes and the introduction of new text and elements)
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Sales and marketing emails
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Landing pages
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The wording for ad-hoc promotional activities (such as flyers, banners, billboards and ads)
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Copy for brochures (print or digital)
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Blog writing
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Social media copy
Did you know?
£440
is the average day rate for a UK freelance copywriter
55,000
copywriters/content writers are on Upwork alone!
73%
of copywriters are self-employed.
Why is it important to find a great freelance copywriter?
Every time you click on a web link and scroll down a page, the people behind that website have done a good job.
They have managed to hold your attention or nudged you towards an action that they want you to make.
Those people are probably professional copywriters – often self-employed experts like me. They're also the brains behind marketing emails, brochures and much more.
You have the potential to supercharge your business if you partner up with the right copywriter who takes the time to:
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Understand your business landscape and goals.
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Consider or develop your tone of voice.
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Help you identify your exact requirements.
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And bring his/her writing skills to the table.
But how can you choose a freelance copywriter who knows what they are doing?
Unfortunately, the number of people ready to provide you with sub-standard copy is vast.
Try this experiment. First, type "freelance copywriter" into LinkedIn, and then click on:
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'posts'
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...and then sort by 'most recent'.
Every day, you'll see literally dozens of bright-eyed (and under-qualified) hopefuls announcing they've just become a copywriter.
Do you think these people are going to bring bags of experience, SEO knowledge, an understanding of user experience and some wireframing skills to the table?
Me neither.
The problem is, good copy can easily perform 50x better than poorly worded copy. Trust me: you need the good stuff!
3 WAYS TO VERIFY IF YOUR COPYWRITER HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD
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Check out their website – I'd estimate that 99% of experienced copywriters have a website. It helps showcase their talent and is a window into their world.
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Check out how well their website ranks. If you are looking for a website copywriter, for example, type 'website copywriter' into Google and see who's ranking. Those on page 1 know something about SEO and creating a website that Google likes.
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Look for testimonials. If there are none, there's always a chance your writer is just being modest – so ask for some when you reach out.
So, how much does a freelance copywriter cost?
Not much!
An entry-level copywriter is yours for around £250 a day – cheaper still if you go outside of the UK.
Enough!
The UK average, according to the ProCopywriters Alliance for 2024, is around £440 per day.
Mega £££!
Senior UK copywriters with advertising experience can charge £800-£2,000 per day.
Note: many freelancers – myself included – more typically quote per project.
Freelance copywriter rates in 2004 – an analysis
When potential clients reach out to me, one of the first questions is, "What are your rates?"
Like most experienced copywriters, I tend not to give out blanket rates because there are so many variables. The reality is that you're basically paying for my time.
If it's a website writing engagement, this will likely include:
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Onboarding (emails, video calls, prep work, research into your customers and your competitors)
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Planning and strategy (websites, for example, can take days of 'thinking time' to make sure they're logical, well-structured and easy to navigate)
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Keyword research
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Writing (the big one!)
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On-page SEO optimisation
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Proofing
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Amendments and project 'wrap up' time
4 example rates from high-ranking freelance website copywriters around the world
Freelance copywriter #1 – this Oregon-based writer offers a 'website in a week' package that includes four pages, a one-page brand analysis and a round of revisions. PRICE: from $5,200 (circa £3,900)
Freelance copywriter #2 – as well as offering basic website packages for $3,500 (she calls them 'website copywriting intensives'), this American copywriter is yours for the day for $2,500. PRICE: from $3,500 (circa £2,600)
Freelance copywriter #3 – this UK-based enterprise offers a four-page, SEO-optimised package for a set fee. PRICE: £2,900
Freelance copywriter #4 – another UK service offering pricing per web page. PRICE: £450-£700 per page
As you can see, writers who rank highly on Google and have some solid testimonials on their websites expect somewhere in the region of £400-£800 per page.
This aligns with this year's ProCopywriters' annual survey, which revealed that the average day rate for a UK copywriter is £440.
For a comparison, my own fees for five pages of SEO-optimised web copy (supplied with wireframes) are between £2,000 and £5,000.
Why such a large spread? Once again, it all comes back to time.
During the initial getting-to-know-you phase, I'll learn enough about your needs to be able to come up with a quote that reflects the many hours involved to complete the project.
Wait, what? The average copywriter earns £100k a year?!
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A snapshot of a typical week when I'm immersed in a freelance copywriting project
Let's do the math. If the average day rate for a UK copywriter is £440 (source: ProCopywriters survey 2024), that equates to £2,200 per week.
Which is £114,400 a year.
Or, if you allow for five weeks' unpaid holidays, it comes to £103,400. No wonder there's so many freelance copywriters. We must be the ones buying all those shiny new Teslas, right?!
Understanding the reality of what freelance copywriters actually earn each year
Here's where things get interesting. The same ProCopywriters survey shows that the average pay for freelance UK copywriters is £57,000.
So what's happening?
It's this: while £440 may be the average UK day rate, almost no copywriter is able to bill at that rate every working day.
For a start, relatively few copywriters are consistently booked out. Occasional lulls, even just a day or two, are inevitable.
For my own part, I've definitely taken my eye off the ball on a number of occasions, forgetting (or being too busy) to line up work that will kick in a couple of months down the line.
When you're immersed in a project, it's easy to turn down random bits of work that come in – and it's just as easy to find yourself staring at a black hole when you do finally complete everything on your to-do list.
But there's something else to consider. Writing and taking care of projects is just one part of being a freelance copywriter...
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General admin – such as invoicing, chasing invoices, managing SaaS subscriptions, website maintenance etc.
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Lead generation – most (if not all) copywriters need to keep an eye out for future work, which can mean many hours planning and running Google Ad campaigns, cold email outreach, networking and so on.
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Lead nurturing – copywriters need to sell themselves, and even the best can 'waste' hours on a lead who ultimately decides to go elsewhere.
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Personal development – everything from online workshops to checking out latest SEO best practices and tools are standard fare for most copywriters. These all take time out of the working week.
Here are some of the many things that eat into a freelance copywriter's time (and stop 99% of them earning £100k a year):
(It's worth noting that few low-earning freelance copywriters are likely to have been included in the ProCopywriters Alliance survey. It is the Alliance's members – myself among them – who were surveyed for the study, and there's a not insubtantial annual fee to become a member. I'd put freelancers into three brackets: relative newcomers charging up to £250 a day; middleweights charging around £450; and, at the top of the tree, highly experienced writers whose day rate will be £650+).
The copywriting process: what happens
I have been writing digital content for more than 15 years. While my own approach might not be identical to that of other experienced freelance copywriters, I'm pretty sure we all offer a similar service. Here's what a typical freelance copywriting engagement looks like:
1/ A free initial consultation. This is a chance for a client to explain what they need and learn more about the process – including how long it will take. For the copywriter, it's a chance to assess the requirements, confirm suitability, check the calendar, and create a tailored quote.
2/ A detailed set of questions (briefing document). This allows your writer to get to the heart of your business, your buyer and your copywriting needs.
3/ Anything from 30 minutes to several hours of video calls. These allow the copywriter to gather any additional information they need to write your copy – whether that's web pages (new ones or improved ones), sales emails or other written content.
4/ A study of the competitor landscape to see what's working for other brands in your sector. This shouldn't be overlooked, as it will help uncover best practices and tactics. Smart writers take inspiration from what works – and make it even better.
5/ Keyword research (for website projects). This is to ensure the copy has a chance of ranking. I use pro-level SEO tools which can boost your performance on search engines. For example, these tools told me to use the terms 'copywriters freelance' and 'copywriter uk' on this page to help with ranking.
6/ A set of wireframes. I also like to call these 'design prompts' – they show how I feel your copy should be presented to readers for maximum impact (based on many years of publishing experience and briefing designers).
7/ Meta description and title tag copy. These are SEO gold – plus I like to validate these (as well as the main headlines in the copy) using a variety of online tools.
8/ A full pre-delivery copy check. I have a subscription to Grammarly Pro and run all copy through that, often checking it up to three or four times.
9/ The delivery of all copy. Including headlines, subheads, body copy, bullet points and panels.
10/ 1 x round of revisions. Pretty much any freelance copywriting business will offer support of this kind – it helps ensure you get what you need.
FAQ
Find answers about copywriting skills, website copy and more...
What kind of skills does a successful copywriting business need in 2024? The #1 skill is – and always has been – the ability to listen. Projects that appear very similar on the surface have a million unique aspects when you dig a little deeper. To sustain a successful freelance copywriting career, you need to be able to ask the right questions at the start, and also course-correct, if needed, during the journey. That's because not everything will be perfect first time (it almost never is). It's also a good idea to keep on top of current best practices, which I like to do during the regular sessions I take part in that are hosted by the members-only ProCopywriters Alliance.
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Why is writing website copy such a specialist skill in copywriting? To be fair, all types of copywriting need a specialist's eye. Writing for emails requires an appreciation of subject lines, length and strategy. Brochure writing needs an eye for detail and for drilling down into a story. Advertising copywriting needs phenomenal creative flair. And website copywriting needs a whole bunch of skills, including writing talent, knowledge of keywords and SEO, a grasp of user experience and, ideally, some way to present your ideas visually to the client – wireframes, for example. Having someone send you a basic Word document of text when they're copywriting for your website basically means they've only done half a job.
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When I hire freelance copywriters, I have no idea if they're any good. Ideas? Sure – ask (politely) if they'd do a short test. If you can pay 5 x writers £75 each for an hour's work, your £375 investment will result in five distinct pieces of work. One will likely stand out as the best. On a tighter budget? Just try three!
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I like the idea of using advertising agencies over a freelance copywriter. Thoughts? If you have the budget and grand plans – do it. 100%. A good agency will have everything in place to understand your needs and the market, and they'll have copywriting duos in all likelihood (a writer and a designer) to work on your idea. They can also work on fulfilment – getting your ad in bus shelters, for example – which freelancers can't do. For my own part, agency work is not where my background is. I am a career writer – a professional who has been writing websites, marketing content, articles, profiles and interviews for decades.
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I'm embarrassed to ask, but what are copywriters? Wow! Someone's clearly skipped a lesson or two! Copywriters are people who create written material for every kind of informational and publicity material you can think of. That includes: * Ads * Websites * Flyers * Brochures * Emails * Sales letters * Product descriptions * Video scripts * Annual reports * Survey results * Billboards And more! And 'freelance' means we're not tied to a particular client. We'll work with whoever wants to hire us.
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"Full of great ideas... amazing copy!"
"It's rare to find someone who truly wants to help your business grow, but Mike is that exception. Full of great ideas, he has helped with amazing email and website copy."
Any Brann, founder, Synaptic Potential